Birda (app)

Last updated
Birda
Company typePrivate
IndustryMobile app; Citizen science
FoundedApril 26, 2017;8 years ago (2017-04-26)
Founders John White; Natalie White
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Key people
John White (CEO); Natalie White (COO); Lee Clissett (CPO)
ProductsBirda app (iOS and Android)
Website birda.org

Birda is a birdwatching and citizen science mobile application designed to help users identify and record bird species while contributing data to conservation research. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The app combines social networking and gamification elements, allowing users to share observations, participate in challenges, and compare life lists with others. Birda also publishes observation data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). [6]

Contents

Overview

Birda operates on a freemium subscription model. The app provides a digital species guide, automatically updated life lists, tools for logging bird sightings, and options for community-based species identification. [5] It is available internationally with regional species lists and multilingual common names. [1] Users may choose to share their sightings with conservation researchers as part of citizen science monitoring projects. [6]

History

Birda developed from an earlier wildlife platform created by its founders. In 2012, John and Natalie White launched Tracking the Wild , a wildlife sightings platform in Southern Africa. It officially launched in 2014 with a website and mobile apps. In 2017, they shifted focus to birdwatching and released Chirp Birding. After a rebrand and funding round in 2020, the platform relaunched as Birda in 2022. [1] [5]

Birda launched in the United Kingdom in January 2022, in the United States in September 2022, and subsequently became available worldwide. [7] Apple featured Birda as its "App of the Day" in around 150 countries, including the United States. [8]

Data use

Birda publishes bird observation records to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, contributing a global dataset of community sightings. [9] [10] The platform also maintains a species guide that covers all known bird species, which has been cited in peer-reviewed research. [11] [12] [13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chepape, Lesego (27 February 2023). "Q&A: What is the Birda app and how does it work?". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  2. ↑ Oberholzer, Sanet (19 February 2023). "New social app Birda turns twitching into a chirpy affair" . Sunday Times (TimesLIVE). Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  3. ↑ "Looking for a birdwatching app? We can help with that" . News24. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  4. ↑ "Birda, the Twitter Alternative? A New Social Media App Taking 'Bird' Literally" . Tech Times. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Birda founders describe their expansive birding app". BirdWatching. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  6. 1 2 "App for bird lovers gets people out into nature while helping bird, wildlife conservation". Fox News. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Creating a worldwide community where twitchers can flock together – Birda's John and Natalie White". BizNews. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Birda – App of the Day". Apple App Store. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Birda – Global Observation Dataset". GBIF. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Birda GBIF IPT". Birda GBIF IPT. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Rubel, Alan (2025). "Digital Platforms, Privacy, and the Ethics of Wildlife Information Sharing" . Philosophy & Technology. 38 (22) 22. doi:10.1007/s13347-025-00841-4 . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  12. ↑ Abdelhakim, Walaa Mohamed (December 2024). "The Dentist Bird: The Egyptian Spur-Winged Plover" (PDF). International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management. 7 (2). Egypt: Minia University: 431–436. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  13. ↑ Chan, Boon Heng (2024). "Predation on a snake by the White-crested Laughingthrush in Singapore" (PDF). Nature in Singapore. 17: 105–110. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
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